Rabbits

Lepus curpaeums

Both of our rabbits arrived at The New Children’s Museum in July 2009. Spotty, a (rabbit breed) was given to The Wildlife Sanctuary as an unwanted pet. The story behind Chico still remains somewhat of a mystery: For West Hartford Day in 2013, Chico along with some other animals were brought to Kauod rugs on South Main Street to help promote West Hartford Day. One of the employees recognized Chico as (insert rabbits name), the local rabbit they used to have roaming around their neighborhood. This rabbit would play with all the kids and come to the back door step of their house for his daily bowl of rabbit food. One day (insert the name) never showed up and he was not seen again. With no file on record of Chico’s accession he could possibly be this very same rabbit that used to roam the streets of Windsor.

10 Fun Facts About Rabbits

1. Rabbits are typically crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk.
2. Their large eyes allow them to absorb more light and see better at night.
3. They have very powerful back legs, which they use for jumping and sprinting away from predators.
4. A rabbits milk that it feeds its young contains a special enzymes that allow them to digest grass, which is how the young rabbits obtain this enzyme.
5. Rabbits prefer to inhabit open fields and meadows.
6. Nests for baby rabbits are simply slight depressions in the grass about the size of a tennis ball covered with surrounding foliage.
7. Rabbits are herbivorous in nature, meaning they eat strictly plant matter.
8. Litter sizes typically range from 2 to 6 babies.
9. When first born rabbits are blind and hairless, it takes a few weeks for them to mature enough for their eyes to open and to begin foraging for food on their own.
10. Young rabbits are left alone during the day and often leave the nest to forage around on grass and clover. If you find small rabbits by themselves in your yard they are not orphans– they are merely exploring while their mother is away.